Improvement in stereopticon apparatus



A.G.BUZBY,

improvement vin Stereuptican Apparatus. No.125,26 7. PatentedApri\2,1l872.

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3 Sheets--Sheet 2.

A. G-. BUZBY.

Improvement in Sterebptican Apparatus. NO. 125,267. Patented-April2,1872.

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UNITED STATES PATENT @Frrcn ALBERT G. BUZBY, OFIHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO W. MITCHELL MGALLISTER, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEM ENT IN STEREOPTICON APPARATUS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 125,267, dated April 2, 1872.

Specification describing Improvements in Stereopticon Apparatus, invented by ALBERT G. BUZBY, of the city and county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania.

Improvements 2'11. Stere0ptic0ns.

My invention consists of certain improvements, too fully explained hereafter to need preliminary description, in stereopticon apparatus, the said improvements having been designed mainly with the view of rendering the apparatus compact and economical, and of enabling it to be readily operated.

Inthe accompanying drawing, Figure 1, Sheet 1, is a side elevation, partly in section, of my improved stereopticon apparatus. Fig. 2, Sheet 2, a transverse vertical section on the line 1 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3, Sheet 1, a plan view of one" of the lime-burners and its fixtures. Fig. 4, Sheet 2, a vertical section of the burner on the line 3 4, Fig. 3. Fig. 5, Sheet 3, a transverse section of part of one of the burner-fixtures on the line 5 6, Fig. 4, drawn to an enlarged scale. Fig. 6, Sheet 3, an enlarged view of a modification. Fig. 7, Sheet 2, a modified arrangement of operating mechanism for the lime movement.

It is desirable that a stereopticon apparatus should be duplex-that is, that it should have two lanterns or burners, and two separate sets of lenses, which can be directed to the same portion of the canvas, in order that the pictures may be produced upon the latter in quick succession, by what is known as the dissolving process, which consists merely in gradually turning off the light of one burner simultaneously with the turning on of the other, thus causing one picture to gradually fade out from the canvas while another takes its place. It is also desirable, for convenience in managing the two sets of picture-slides, that the parts of such duplex apparatus should be arranged one directly above the other; but this has heretofore been considered impracticable, owing to the fact that the heat of the lower burner, especially when limelights are used, is so great as to deteriorate and in time destroy the fixtures of the upper burner. The parts of the duplex apparatus are therefore commonly arranged side by side, which involves the necessity of introducing the picture-slides from opposite sides, and therefore compels the opperator either to lean over the top of or wall: around the apparatus every time the slides have to be changed. I have overcome the difficulty, so as to enable one set of burners and lenses to be arranged directly above the other, by extending a partition or deflector across the casing of the instrument between the two burners, and by providing a side chimney for carrying otf the heat from the lower burner, as I will now proceed to describe.

In the drawing, A represents a rectangular box, forming the casing of the apparatus, and of which a is the base; I), the top c, the front; at, the back; 0, a door at one side; and f. the opposite side. To the front of the case, at the point 00, are hinged two blocks,B and B, which carry the upper and lower condensing lenses 9 and g, and the front lenses, the latter being adjustable toward and from the condensing lenses upon armsz', which project outward from the hinged blocks B B. The latter are held in position and are arranged to be adjusted to such angles that the two sets of lenses shall both be directed toward the same point upon the canvas, by set-screws j'and 7", Fig. 1, adapted to nuts in the case. Two lime-lights or burners, D and l), are used, the former of which is contained in the lower compartment E, and the latter in the upper compartment F of the case, these two compartments being formed by a horizontal or slightly inclined partition, G, which extends entirely across the case, and serves as a deflector to protect the upper burner fixtnresfrom the deteriorating effect of the heat of the lower burner, Figs. 1 and 2. This heat is conducted off through a side chimney, H, communicating at its lower end with the compartment E, and extending upward through the upper compartment F, at one side of the same to the chimney proper, It, at the top of the apparatus. (See Fig. 2.) The side chimney may, however, if desired, be arranged outside of instead of within the case. I prefer that the deflector orpartition G should consist of a double casing of metal, as shown in Fig.2, as in this form it is a better non-conductor of heat than if made solid. sirable in some cases that three, or even four, instead of two, burners should be arranged one above the other, and this it will be evident It is de-.

can be accomplished by the use of the side chimney and partitions, without risk of heatin g the upper burners. The lime-lights used are of ordinary construction,the pencil of lime being held in a cup, I, at the upper end of a rod, m, and being played upon and heated to white heat by an oXy-hydrogen jet from a nozof pipes through short len ths of hose, by

means of which cock the gases may be simultaneously cut otf from one burner and turned onto the other, Figs. 1 and 5. As the pencils of lime are being constantly consumed, it is necessary that they should be fed up to the nozzles, and also be constantly turned in order that the greatest brilliancy may be obtained. This is sometimes accomplished by expensive clock-work, but the limes are more generally turned and fed up by hand, and therefore require the constant attention of the operator. 111 my apparatus the limes are adjusted in the act of putting in or taking out the pictureslides, or of turning the dissolving-cock q, and do not therefore require any special attention from the operator. Where the limes are to be operated by the picture-slides, a rod or wire, 1, Figs. 1 and 4, extends through a slit in the front of the case and across the space y, into which the picture-slide is inserted, so that in forcing down the said slide into its space, the rod 1' shall also be depressed, and rise again by the action of a spring when the said slide is raised. This rod is connected to a plate, r Figs. 3 and 4, secured to a spindle, W, a cogwheel, 8, on which, gears into a wheel, .9 on the screw-rod m carrying the lime. The rod m is slotted for the reception of a feather on the wheel 8 which permits it to slide through, but not to turn independently of the latter. By means of these devices and a ratchet connection, 8 the intermittent rotary movement imparted to the spindle r by the rod 1', acted on by the picture-slides, is transmitted to the screw-rod m carrying the lime, which is thus gradually raised until the lime is consumed. The mechanism can be turned at any time by hand by means of a button, .9 at the front end of the spindle T in such a direction as to either raise or' lower the lime. A somewhat simpler arrangement of transmitting mechanism is illustrated in Fi 7. This consists of an arm, it, upon the spindle T the hinged end of which strikes and turns a pin-wheel, t, on the lime-rod m. The latter also, instead of being threaded, has a pin, t which traverses a spiral slot, t cut in a tube within which the lower end of the lime-rod is contained. When the limes are to be operated from the dissolving-cock, the operating-rods r r are passed through the slotted ends of a vertical. bar, K, Fig. 5, a rack on which gears into a toothed wheel, a, at one end of the dissolving-cock q, so that whenever the latter is turned the said bar and rods r 1' will also be operated. As it is often necessary to tilt or incline the whole apparatus in one direction or the other in order that the lenses may point directly onto the canvas, I have secured to the front and rear edges of the base a, two hinged strips or pitching-boards, L L, by turning either of which downward so as to support the apparatus at one end, the latter may be inclined in one direction or the other, as desired. (See Fig. 5, and dotted lines in Fi .1.) A block, M, Fig. 1, is secured to the rear end of each front lens h, and to this block are hinged two or more arms, a e, &c., carrying plates of colored transparent glass, which can be turned downward over the rear end of the lens for the purpose of tinting the picture; and it is intended also that one of the said arms shall carry a piece of cloth or other opaque material, which, when turned downward against the lens shall entirely darken and obliterate the picture from the canvas.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a stereopticon apparatus, the combination of two or more separate compartments, arranged one above the other for the reception of lanterns or burners, anda side chimney, H, for carrying off the heat and products of combustion from the lowermost of said compartments, all substantially as specified.

2. The partition or screen G, consisting of a double casing of metal inclined upward toward the side chimney H, as set forth.

3. The rods 1, and the mechanism described, or any equivalent to the same, whereby the lim e-pencils may be adjusted in the act of put-, ting in or taking out the picture-slides, or of turning the dissolving-cock q, all substantially as herein described.

4. Thecombination with the base a of the apparatus, of pitching-boards L, for the pur- V pose specified.

5. The combination, substantially as described, with the front lenses h, of hinged arms a 'v, &c., carrying plates of transparent colored glass, and of opaque material, for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in presence 01 two subscribing witnesses.

ALBERT G. BUZBY.

Witnesses WM. A. STEEL, JNo. B. HARDING. 

